The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-23


clay. We little dreamed few years ago that
the Congo had such magnificent tributaries
as have been discovered within few years.
DR.. WOLF found, for instance, that for a long
distance the Sankuru.is about three miles
wide, with an average depth Of nine feet.
For 800 miles up the river DR.. WOLF met a
great many canoes. Many Of them were of
enormous size. twice the length of his little
steamer, and they easily accommodated
eighty rowers. 1t was picturesque sight
to see these great canoes with their force OF
rowers all standing up and plying their
paddles 30 effectively that they could far
outstrip the steamer In speed. or course,
the white man and his putting steamboat
created immense excitement and astonish-
ment, but very little fear was manifested.
Some Of the natives were inclined to be hos
tile, and one powerful tribe, the Bassongo
Mino, confessed themselves to be cannibals.
The colored cloths and trinkets displayed by
the traveller excited their establishment and
envy. and, as DR.. WOLF declined to give all
his pretty things away, they decided to take
them without asking permission.
One morning some Of these warriors were
overheard talking the matter over. They
said it would be very easy to kill the white
man and his small party. chop them up for
food, and seize the steamer and all the beau
tiful things 1t contained. One Of DR.. VOLTS
helpers, large, fieshy man, excited their
particular admiration, and they regarded
him much as farmer does prize porker.
As preliminary to their scheme Of serious
hostility, they began to pick quarrels with
the explorers men. Their chief, ToNao-
LATA, became very insolent, and told DR..
WOLF he had him quite at his mercy. The
explorer and his little force showed their
guns to the natives. who merely laughed.
They thought the guns as harmless as so
many cudgels cut from thicket, and in
their ignorance did not regard them as
weapons at all.
Dr. WOLF was now able to do what many
another explorer has done when hostile saw
ages, counting the little band OF strangers
whom they believed they had wholly in their
power. have decided to utterly destroy them
He simply paralyzed the natives by giving
them little idea Of the mysterious proper
ties Of his shooting irons. While he was
by the side Of the saucy chief try
ing to placate that important savage, the
explorer suddenly drew his revolver, held it
close to the chiefs ear, and discharged it.
The effect was magical. The chief shivered
from head to foot with fear. He had never
had such tingling in his ears before, and
he took hold Of them to see II they were
still there. The big crowd Of yelling, inso-
lent natives were struck dumb with aston
ishment and horror. It required the explo-
sion Of only one cartridge to convince the
savages that these visitors were very supe-
rior beings, who must be treated with due
courtesy and respect The polite chief at
once pretended to be the explorers most ex-
cellent friend, sent him present of two
chickens, and allowed him to go on his way
Far up tho Sankuru, however. DR.. WOLF
found natives who. though they had never
seen white men, still had plenty OF guns
not the worthless fint-locks which are pro-
vided by thousands to the natives of West
Africa, but percussion guns, and they know
how to use them, too. These natives are the
people Of the powerful Chief ZAPPu ZAPP
He is an ally Of the big Arab slave dealers OF
Nyangwe, the noted Arab headquarters on
the Congo, about $50 miles northeast of ZAP
PO ZAPP's territory. He Is the terror OF all
the tribes around him, because his guns
make him resistless, and he wages war for
no other purpose than to procure slaves to
sell to the Arabs, who supply him with guns
and ammunition. 1t appears, then, that
when the Congo State kills the slave trade
at Stanley Falls it will have another nest OF
slavers to destroy on the Upper Sankuru, to
say nothing OF the many stations Of slavers
far up the Congo and between that river and
Lake Tanganyika. 1t has big contract on
hand II it intends to clear its territory OF
Arab slavers.
One day when DIR. WOLF was tramping
through forest he suddenly came to
grassy opening and saw before him a large
village OF the Batua dwarfs whom STANLEY
heard of when he first descended the Congo,
though he did not see them. These curious
little creatures, who are spread over q large
extent OF country south of the Congo, are
very similar to the Aka dwarfs whom
discovered north OF that
liver They are timid little folks, and they
would doubtless have run away If they had
,een DR.. WOLF before he suddenly appeared
among them. He found them living In
grass huts. Around their vii
age were many carefully covered pitfalls
nine to twelve feet deep, which they had dug
or the purpose Of catching any elephants,
and wild boars that might venture
tut of the forest to feed In the grassy glade
where the dwarfs lived.
At first the dwarfs, quaking with fear
yazed on the white man from distance, but
inally they became quite friendly. They
ire little over four feet high. are coffee
,rown in color. and are well shaped. They
make no attempt to cultivate the soil, but
I've solely by hunting with their bows and
Irrows and spears. They dry good deal of
neat, which they sell among the neighbor-
ng tribes for Indian corn, manioc. gid other
vegetable products. LUKENao, the King Of |
ne large tribe, keeps quite number OF |
'atua in his service, and it Is their business
o provide game and palm wine for the |
Iing's table. DIR. WOLF says they are ex-
eedingly skilful in the management of their |
ows, arrows. and spears.
Tho Baluba, whom WoLR and WIssAGANN